A Slip Through the Timber

I pushed past the bottom gap of the front gate, slipping quietly onto the cool concrete edge of the public sidewalk. Just beside the wooden fence, a low dandelion plant held a round, fluffy seed head trembling against the fence post. I sat down and leaned forward, bringing my snout close. When a puff of breeze swept down the lane, half of the tiny white parachutes detached, swirling past my ears into the open sky. I reached out a padded paw, catching a single drifting seed against my thumb. It was so light I barely felt it rest there.